The Geisel Library on the UCSD campus, where plenty of climate change study has, and will, go down. Photo: Unsplash
Between their frequent surf sessions at Blacks Beach, UC San Diego students will now have a new task on their plate in order to graduate: climate change studies. The university on the cliffs of La Jolla announced that starting with the more than 7,000 incoming Fall 2024 freshmen, all students will be required to complete climate change courses as part of their degree work.
The university calls the program the first of its kind in a major public university and the first in the University of California system. According to Muir College Provost Wayne Yang, the program will incentivize upper division course professors to integrate material about how students can have a positive impact on climate change in their respective fields of study.
A course must dedicate at least 30 percent of its content toward climate change in order to meet the requirement. The 18 such courses that will be available to students include titles such as Climate Justice, Ecosystems and Global Change, Philosophy and the Environment, The Atmospheres, The Oceans, and Life and Climate on Earth, among others.
“UC San Diego has a long history of leadership in climate research and education, and the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement marks a new path forward,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Whether undergraduates are majoring in STEM, the humanities, arts, social sciences or any other field, this requirement will equip them with a strong understanding of climate change and how they can contribute to meaningful solutions.”
The release underlines that the new climate change courses will not create increased workload, as the classes will align with current general education and major-specific requirements.
